[40]
He orders Diodorus to be sought for over the whole province. He had by this time
struck his camp, packed up his baggage, and left Sicily. Verres, in order by some means or other to bring the man back
to the province, devises this plan, if it is to be called a plan, and not rather a
piece of madness. He sets up one of the men he calls his hounds, to say that he
wishes to institute a prosecution against Diodorus of Melita for a capital offence. At first all men wondered at such a
thing being imputed to Diodorus, a most quiet man, and as far removed as any man
from all suspicion, not only of crime, but of even the slightest irregularity. But
it soon became evident, that all this was done for the sake of his silver. Verres
does not hesitate to order the prosecution to be instituted; and that, I imagine,
was the first instance of his allowing an accusation to be made against an absent
man.
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M. Tullius Cicero. The Orations of Marcus Tullius Cicero, literally translated by C. D. Yonge. London. George Bell & Sons. 1903.
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